


A Heart's a Heavy Burden

by deadfemme



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Kuvira can have a little redemption arc. As a treat., Post-Canon, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26623966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadfemme/pseuds/deadfemme
Summary: Remorse is one thing, and atonement another thing entirely. Kuvira's fall from power is followed by a long, arduous battle to redeem herself, both to the world and the woman she's unexpectedly fallen for.This story begins three months after Kuvira's surrender, coinciding with the first chapter of Ruins of the Empire. It builds off of the events in the comics and thus contains spoilers.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Korra/Kuvira (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	A Heart's a Heavy Burden

**Author's Note:**

> Korvira might seem like a bizarre ship but I really believe that it has a lot of chemistry. Kuvira is a pretty obvious foil for Korra, and I think that Korra’s triumph over Kuvira can be seen as a triumph over her past self. My theory is that the main differences between the two characters lie in how they were raised – Korra had loving, supportive parents and Kuvira didn’t. Regardless of whether they end up together in this fic, Kuvira will have a lot to learn from Korra as she attempts to redeem herself.
> 
> The problem is that I also love Korrasami (and I don’t think that Asami would be willing to share Korra’s affection with her father’s killer) so I might end up writing about bittersweet, unrequited love. We’ll see how it goes. This is also my very first attempt at writing fanfiction, so please be gentle with my fragile ego. I went to great lengths to get the timeline and dialogue right, so I hope that my effort pays off.

_Cold, hard, unyielding. I have a lot in common with my shackles._

But, three months ago, Kuvira yielded to the Avatar. She surrendered, gave up her empire, and promised to accept whatever punishment the world saw fit – and it decided to humiliate her. She would probably spend the rest of her life in Republic City’s maximum-security prison, a former temple carved deep into the bedrock of the surrounding mountains.

As Kuvira rose to her knees, the clanking of her heavy platinum restraints echoed across the cavernous, subterranean cell. She gazed at the vaulted ceiling high above her, almost too far away to make out in the semidarkness. Her surroundings were poorly lit by the faint glow of luminescent crystals, giving her skin a sickly, pallid appearance.

She felt a dull ache throughout her entire body, as her restraints prevented her from moving more than a few steps in any direction. Below her feet was a massive metallic platform, to which the chains shackled to her wrists and ankles were securely bolted. All platinum, of course. She could only stretch her legs during short, infrequent bathroom breaks, under close supervision by the White Lotus guards. At least the guards didn’t beat her, although she half expected them to. After all, she was now one of the world’s most notorious criminals. Shame settled in the pit of her stomach. She took comfort in the fact that none of her former friends or family members were there to see her like this – a feeble prisoner dressed in rags, eating and sleeping in chains, pacing in endless circles like a leashed dog. How pathetic.

Kuvira often found herself wishing that the Avatar had allowed the supercharged spirit energy cannon to annihilate her during their battle for Republic City. She clearly deserved it, and the world would be better off without her anyway. When she awoke in Korra’s arms after being blasted into the spirit world…

That memory evoked a discordant chorus of emotions and she immediately pushed it away, redirecting her attention to the gloom of her cell, the weight of her shackles. No one – not her biological parents, not her adoptive mother, not even her fiancée – had ever held her like that before. For a fleeting fraction of a second, the Avatar’s presence had made her feel completely safe.

Kuvira knew that she would never feel that way again, and she didn’t have a right to. Not after what she had done. Not after the reeducation camps, the annexation of Zaofu, and the invasion of Republic City, among many, many other things. It was impossible to know how many lives she had ruined… or ended. Where did she go wrong? At what point did she become a monster? Perhaps she had always been one.

The first session of her trial made it clear that most people felt that way about her. Kuvira knew that it was stupid to plead innocent despite the severity of the charges that President Moon’s special tribunal brought against her… not to mention the sheer amount of incriminating evidence. The gleaming wreckage of her giant mecha suit still littered downtown Republic City, a grotesque monument to her defeat. Oh, and she had also tried to execute Moon herself with her spirit cannon.

Kuvira clearly couldn’t deny her crimes. Instead, she tried to force the tribunal to consider her achievements – everything that she did for the greater good of her nation. When the Earth Kingdom descended into chaos, she restored order. She delivered food to the hungry, redistributed the kingdom’s abundant resources, built sorely needed modern infrastructure, and helped to topple an archaic monarchy. She dragged an ancient society out of the dark ages. She stepped up when no one else would.

But then she didn’t back down. The guilt returned, washing over her in nauseating waves, threatening to drown her in a dark tide. She was a coward, an utter failure, a disgrace to her nation. When the eyes of the world were fixed on her, she blundered – not once, not twice, but innumerable times. She glanced back up at the craggy ceiling, thinking about how easy it would be to bring it crashing down on herself. The weight of her guilt seemed far, far heavier than the rocks above…

A hard lump began to form at the back of her throat. She tried to force it down, but instead let out a gross, quivering sob. The darkness of her cell began to smother her, clamping its icy hand over her mouth. 

The ear-splitting sound of metal scraping against rock jolted Kuvira out of her despair. The enormous platinum door to her cell had been opened, and a familiar figure stood before her. _Avatar Korra._ Kuvira clenched her jaw and desperately tried to compose herself. After all, she was the Great Uniter – hero of Ba Sing Se, esteemed military commander, and proud (albeit former) leader of the Earth Empire. She couldn't allow anyone - let alone the Avatar - to find out about this rare, deeply embarrassing moment of weakness. To see through the cracks in her formidable defensive walls. 

“Hello, Kuvira.”

There was no malice in the Avatar’s voice, only cautious hesitation. _That voice could put anyone at ease. Why didn’t I listen to it sooner...?_ Now Kuvira needed to convince the Avatar that she was still good, useful, worthy of a second chance. Luckily, she could be quite convincing.


End file.
